Silky-Voiced Homeless Man Copes With Sudden Fame

It has been a whirlwind week for Ted Williams. The Brooklyn native who ended up on the streets due to a long battle with substance abuse says he’s been sober for two years. His velvet voice got him discovered, and now he’s trying to deal with the fame that has come his way.

NEW YORK (AP) — A homeless man from Ohio who quickly became a celebrity thanks to his smooth announcing voice indicates it’s been challenging dealing with the rush of fame.

“I wanted a nerve pill yesterday, to be honest with you,” Ted Williams said Friday on CBS’ “Early Show.” The 53-year-old recovering addict said a psychologist talked him out of it.

“She said, ‘Listen, you’re going to have to learn to meditate and not medicate,’” Williams said.

He became famous practically overnight after The Columbus Dispatch posted a web video of him earlier this week. Williams had found himself on the streets in Columbus after his life was ruined by substance abuse, but he says he has been sober for more than two years.

He appeared on CBS seated in the studio next to his mother, who said their reunion in New York on Thursday was the first time she’d seen her son in person in 10 years.